Why LeBron James was reportedly upset by a surprising Lakers decision

According to a report from ESPN's Dave McMenamin, LeBron James has a "great" relationship with Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

However, as LeBron considers his decision about whether or not he will return to the Lakers, every anecdotal story about the two as well as president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka could provide clues about the future of the four-time NBA Finals MVP. LeBron could retire, he could return to the Lakers, or he could sign with a different team entirely.

One detail that stood out in the report from McMenamin is that something memorable happened on March 31. During that game, LeBron passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most by any player in NBA history. It was also the game Luka Dončić scored his 15,000th point while Rui Hachimura scored his 5,000th point.

However, on the same night, Redick recorded his 100th win as a head coach. Pelinka addressed the team and gave the game ball to the coach. This reportedly frustrated LeBron (via ESPN):

James has a "great" relationship with Redick, sources close to him say -- with one telling ESPN that Redick's hiring is "one thing the Lakers got right."

But James, who played the past eight seasons in Los Angeles and helped deliver the franchise its 17th championship in 2020, saw Pelinka's priority in that moment as yet another example of the Lakers taking him for granted, sources said.